Page 112 of Hellbound

To her surprise, Vale’s shadows retracted immediately, releasing a hacking Daniel, who cowered in the grass in a crumpled heap of navy Armani. He strode toward Stellan, who tore his gaze from cowering, whimpering Daniel to glare at Vale.

“Explain yourself. Now.”

Vale pressed the tip of a long finger to Stellan’s forehead. Barely a brush of skin. “You want answers?” He leaned forward. “Take them.”

Wind rushed around them as Stellan’s body went rigid. Ribbons of darkness poured out of Vale’s shirtsleeves and flooded the Argent’s every orifice. Tori inched closer to Marian with a sharp inhale.

Stellan’s head drooped as the shadows disappeared inside him. When he looked up again, Marian forgot how to breathe. Tori gasped, and Marian could only assume the traveler now saw what she’d seen in the museum.

Empty eyes. Not two, but four vacant sockets. And as Stellan began to tremble, they filled with pinpricks of silver light. Like distant, dying stars.

“Va’hael,” the Argent whispered. “Deceiver.”

Marian’s blood ran cold at the pain in his voice. She looked at Vale’s face for clues but found only a stony mask. Daniel remained huddled in the grass, damp and shaking.

Stellan blinked rapidly, a bewildered look overcoming him as though he’d only just realized where we was.

“We had a deal—”

“We did, once. Now we don’t.” Vale’s words dropped like the steel of an executioner’s axe. He spared only the barest glance over his shoulder at Marian. “Kill it.”

Only then did Stellan turn to Marian, his inhuman face haunting and horrible.

“You said there would be no pain. What … what have we done?”

Beads of silver streamed down his cheeks. The Argent wept.

Marian searched Paul’s face for some explanation, but the bartender looked just as lost as she did.

Vale rounded on her, his blue eyes piercing the night.

“I gave you a command.”

Marian hadn’t even strung her next thought together when cold metal snapped around her neck and pulled her forward. She dragged her feet, stumbling as static crackled behind her.

With another flick of Vale’s wrist, Stellan’s restraints shifted. The Argent was hauled off his knees and slammed against the low wall. He buckled, his back flat on the stone as the same power pushed Marian toward him.

“Vale, wait. It—he’s crying,” Marian stammered.

Vale’s voice erupted with molten rage.

“Don’t you dare waste your pity on a creature who would show you none; it is ten times the monster I am. Kill it, now. Then kill your stepfather; his death is your right.”

Every voice in Marian’s head screamed in anguish. She frowned so hard, the creases in her face hurt. How had Daniel earned the same fate as Stellan? She’d only agreed to one take one life tonight. The life of a monster. But now there were two, and they were both weeping at her feet. “I—I can’t.”

A croaking sound from Stellan brought everything to a standstill. The Argent slowly raised his head, a strange, vacant look passing over his face. The crying ceased abruptly. Marian’s stomach bottomed out as the blubbering man became something serene and oh so alien.

The Argent turned its head to Marian.

“He is a traitor. Allying with him brings death. Death we had defeated.”

Then he slowly turned to Vale.

“Even without our memories, she will take back our light and restore us to power. You will fail again.” Stellan cocked his head at Tori. The traveler retreated half a step. “Starting with the gold one.”

Darkness exploded in Marian’s hand. Her fingers closed around the shadowed blade emerging from the ether.

“Kill it,” Vale roared, but Marian was already in motion.